What you should do and not do when living the #vanlife during a relay race.If you have never done a relay race, spending 12-36 hours in a van with 5 other smelly, sweaty people can be the most intimidating and stressful part of the race. After years of relay race experience and as a running coach I am here to breakdown how to survive, thrive and run well while experiencing the relay race van life.

Food, Drinks and Gear:You are going into a relay race and you are sharing one space among 6 people and a ton of running gear, clothes, shoes, blankets, pillows and food. Van space is small, in case you haven’t experienced it, and precious.

My biggest tip for how to make sure you don’t over pack your van and end up sitting with mountains of gear surrounding you is to create a list of must-haves and have your team members sign up for what they want to bring. I make the list and post it in a team facebook group and everyone comments with what they want to bring and with anything extra and special they want to include (beef jerky is a popular add-on for my teams). Below I have an example list of items for you to get an idea from. Doing this ensures that you don’t end up with 65 bananas and 17 tubes of icy hot.

Being A Good Van Mate:Spending that much time with 5 other people when you are exhausted, sore and gross feeling can test your emotions. That is why it is very important to remember these things to make sure the relay is fun and everyone gets along.

Get out the van and help your runners get ready and cheer your other runner in. Not only is this just the nice thing to do, but it also gets you moving around and keeping your muscles from locking up. But mostly, your teammates will appreciate it.

If you are feeling gassy, let your teammates know and if appropriate and available, leave the van to relieve yourself. No one wants to sit in extra stench.

Be kind. When you are tired, little things can get on your last nerve. Remember that everyone in the van is tired and everyone is doing their best job to be a great teammate. Kind words and actions go a long way to making the experience enjoyable.

Keep your space relatively in order. This just makes it easier as you are all swapping seats and looking for your long lost left shoe that things are easy to find and people have room to sit.

Have fun!!!! Just enjoy your time! No one is winning Olympic medals here. Have fun and laugh at all the gross and weird things you experience together in the van. I can promise you will walk away knowing each other MUCH better!

Staying Healthy and Running Happy:Being in a van after you just ran your heart out can be a sweaty and crampy experience. Knowing that you have to do it again in a few hours can be daunting as your legs tighten up and you feel muscles you didn’t even know existed. Being successful in relay racing means keeping your body healthy as you sit in the van. Here are my top tips for keeping your body functioning and working well.

Use a tiger tail or massage stick to roll out your muscles post-run as your van drives to the next exchange.

Every exchange get out, walk around and stretch.

Bring different shoes and socks to change into or even better, wear sandals between runs to let your feet air out.

Put your feet up when you can and when socially appropriate in the van.

Move and get your glutes and core activated before you run. Sitting directly prior to your run and hoping out just in time to run won’t do your body any favors.

Relay running is an adventure with so many fun times and memories to be made. Remember to cherish this time and your ability to do this with all your awesome van mates. Have fun and happy relaying!

If you need anyone one-on-one advice or want to train with our awesome groups, reach out to us at www.thefitlifepdx.com

​Winter has come to an end and Spring Break is wrapping up, which means that race season is upon us but how do we get back into running after maybe taking a break to avoid the cold and dark time of the year? This is a question that plagues runners all across the Pacific Northwest and as running coach, this is the season where I see a lot of people jump both feet in back into running and racing and often times getting injured or frustrated. Here are my pro tips on coming back to running in a healthy and strong way:

Start small- Whether you ran marathons previously or just casually ran, jumping back into running full force will set you up for injury and failure. Start small with easy, slow and short distances and slowly build upon it. This will allow your body to adjust and get stronger without compromising your bones, muscles and ligaments.

Recover and stretch- As a runner, I know how hard both of these things are. Runners are typically go, go, go so when we are asked to slow down, it really doesn’t seem appealing. Why go slow when we can go FAST!? Well, going slow and recovering is just as important if not MORE important than going out there and hammering out the miles. Your body grows and gets stronger in the recovery stages. Take the time to stretch, take recovery days, take Epsom salt baths and drink lots of water. Your body will thank you and you will see the results of your hard runs a lot faster.

Be kind to yourself- No runner has ever jumped back into running and had it feel easy. It isn’t easy when you are returning to something, no matter what level you previously ran at. It is going to be hard and it is going to be frustrating and that is part of the process. Be kind to yourself and patient, the results will come but they will not come over night. I hear so much self-deprecation from clients as they start back into a fitness routine. Being hard on yourself isn’t going to do anything good for you. Be easy on yourself and proud of the fact that you are getting out there and working on yourself.

Don’t quit- As stated in the last point, it isn’t easy coming back to fitness but the one thing that will make it harder is quitting. So, do not give up yourself. Be confident and positive about your goals and keep your head up as you work towards them. You’ve got this!

Go out there and get your goals! The Gorgeous Series is cheering you on and we can’t wait to see you out on the relay courses this year!

Get more tips, strategies, coaching and encouragement from Alexa at Fit Life. Alexa coaches all abilities in groups and one-on-one. We love having people from Alexa's groups join us for group runs and relays - they are fun to run with, have such a positive attitude, and are fun to hang out with post-run, as well!